Match Reports - Past Seasons

Match reports from a nominated member/parent/supporter of each team will be provided on a weekly basis. The reports will be a balanced view of the match, including special performances and where possible photos of the players. This section contains all of the reports submitted prior to the 2011/12 season.

Another fine effort with the bat by James Mulder wasn't enough to help an under strength Gordon Reds to victory on Saturday.

Charlie Crawshaw was rewarded for his display of good sportsmanship and honesty

Captain Charlie Bibb won the toss and elected to bat in the early morning heat. The Reds were without Brae Mason and Angus Chitty for this game.

Openers Mulder and Bibb again got the Reds off to a flying start. The pair mixed aggressive hitting with quick singles and after 10 overs the run rate was at 5 an over.

With the openers retired, Tom Hampson continued to push the scoring along as did Charlie Crawshaw. Finn Mclay chipped in with a solid 9 not out.

But the innings suddenly stalled as the batsmen failed to score quickly and make the most of the good start. Tellingly, the Reds scored just 14 runs from their last 10 overs ' a statistic that would end up costing them the match.

Defending 104, the Reds struck early when Mclay took a very good catch from the bowling of Hampson.

It should have been the start of a march to victory but instead the Reds switched off in the field and started to bowl far too short and wide, which allowed the batsmen to get on top.

Further wayward bowling cost the Reds dearly with the exception of the aggressive efforts of Crawshaw ,who took 1 for 5 from his three overs, Mulder and the leg spin of Bibb. Hampson fielded very well with a direct hit run out.

Charlie Bibb wins the man of the match awards

The boys know they can play much better than this and they will be fired up to redeem themselves at next Saturday's match.

Bibb picked up Player of the Match for his efforts with bat and ball while Crawshaw displayed fine sportsmanship when he informed the umpire he had snicked a ball when originally given not out.

Next Saturday is the final game of the season with the Reds looking to end on a high with a win over the Roseville Rickys.

The final practice is on Friday at Artarmon where line and length bowling will be the order of the day!

Opening bowler Tom Hampson took four wickets as he helped set up victory for the U11 Reds on Saturday. An impressive Hampson claimed a wicket in his first over before a run out saw Lane Cove Marsh reeling at 2 for 0 after two overs.

Mulder and Bibb perform with the willow

James Mulder was then thrown the ball and he also struck in his first over to have the home team in trouble at 3 for 12. But a determined Lane Cove team fought back and were on 47 when James Miller picked up his first wicket hitting the stumps with a perfectly pitched delivery.

Hampson came back into the attack and showed his teammates how to do it by bowling straight and at the stumps. At one stage, Hampson was on a hat-trick but the third delivery was well kept out by the batsmen.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals but the Reds couldn't bowl out Lane Cove who finished on 9 for 80 after 30 overs. Hampson finished with the impressive figures of 4 for 6 from his four overs while Tim Perry picked up 2 for 5.

Of the other bowlers:

Brae Mason also kept a very good line and length for the tidy figures of 0 for 2 from three overs

Mulder finished with 1 for 7

Angus Chitty 0 for 5 from three tight overs

Ned Vandermark returned 0 for 4.

In the field, Miller took two very good catches and Crawshaw one catch.

Reds watch on as the boys perform with the bat

However, the Reds bowling was far too loose in general. The team gave away 37 unnecessary runs in wides and no balls and must work hard during the week to bring that number right down.

Set 81 to win, Mulder and Charlie Bibb opened the batting and their partnership set up the run chase. The pair ran beautifully between the wickets with Mulder clobbering the bowling and Bibb providing excellent support.

Mulder retired having whacked six 4s on his way to a quick-fire 28. Bibb and Chitty kept the runs ticking over before Bibb skied a ball and was very well caught. Chitty put his head down for a solid innings of seven (retired) as the rest of the batsmen set about easing the Reds over the line in the 18th over.

Hampson picked up the Player of the Match for his four wickets. Miller was rewarded for his effort in the field with the Good Sportsmanship Award from the umpires. Well done boys on a good performance against a spirited Lane Cove side.

However, the bowling will need to improve next week when the Reds face St Ives Warne. Get out there and practice, practice, practice bowling straight at the stumps!

The U11 Reds ran into an inferno and a very good Lane Cove team on Saturday before the game was abandoned due to extreme heat.

Reds discuss tactics - in the shade!

With the mercury well into the mid 30s at 8.15am, the Reds won the toss and elected to bowl against top of the table Lane Cove Katich. The Reds were down a man and took to the field with 10 players.

At first it was slow going as the bowlers and fielders kept a lid on the batsmen. After 10 overs, there were 53 runs on the board. But then the soaring heat ' and some good batting ' took their toll. Catches were put down while misfields and no balls cost the Reds dearly. In the end, a lack of concentration in the field due to the heat exhaustion saw the Lane Cove side score 207.

For the Reds, Brae Mason was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 13 from his four overs while Tom Hampson chipped in with 1 for 13 from his three. There were two run outs from Charlie Bibb and Tim Perry.

Facing a large total, the Reds opened the batting with James Mulder and Sam Duckworth. Mulder got the team off to a flyer smashing a stunning 28 including five 4s and a 6. At the other end, a defiant Duckworth put on a superb display of technically correct batting with a perfectly straight bat.

Angus Chitty padded up ready to go!

After nine overs, the Reds were ahead of the run rate and on track to haul in the huge total.

When Mulder was forced to retire, Hampson came in and kept the runs ticking over on his way to a measured 12 before getting out.

Next in was Angus Chitty who stylishly went about his shots and produced a quality sweep on his way to 16 not out.

At 3 for 80 and with Chitty and Bibb at the crease, the Reds were only just behind the required run rate. However, the heat had become unbearable and the temperature had hit 38.4 degrees in the shade. The game was stopped.

We will never know if the Reds could have reeled in the total but the boys were well placed to go close.

Mulder picked up the Player of the Match and has now passed 200 runs for the season. Well done, James.

Practice is on again this Friday where fielding drills could be the order of the day.

Next Saturday the Reds take on Lane Cover Marsh at Pottery Green in Lane Cove.

The U11 Reds turned in a fighting batting performance to claim a narrow last wicket victory over a fellow Gordon team on Saturday.

Reds relax in the shade

Leading run scorer James Mulder ' who rattled up 39 not out ' whacked a mighty six to win a tense game with just three balls left in the match. But it was an excellent all round batting performance that got the team home over a good Gordon Green side.

Earlier, captain Felix Walsh won the toss and sent the Greens into bat on the reliably poor Darnley Oval. Opening bowlers Brae Mason and Walsh shared the new ball with Walsh striking early to remove one of the Green openers. The dismissal brought the Greens top run scorer, Raymond Su, to the crease. Mulder and Ned Vandermark picked up two wickets each with Charlie Crawshaw and Angus Chitty claiming a wicket apiece with tight and accurate bowling. Some quick fielding saw Tim Perry and Harrison Layton run out two batsmen.

However, the Reds bowling overall showed signs of rust after the long school holiday break with far too many no balls and wides helping the Greens to a healthy total of 152 at the end of 30 overs. Su finished on 32 and Oliver Clarke on 25.

Chasing 153 to win, the Reds got off to an unfortunate start by losing opener Chitty to a run out. But that dismissal brought Mulder to the crease and the runs quickly started to flow. With the score on 22 after just three overs, Perry popped up a simple catch to short mid off and he was out. Mason was next in and he quickly set about the bowling with a splendid pull shot for four to open his account. Mulder raced to 25 not out and was forced to retire. But his absence sparked a mini batting collapse with the Reds losing 3 for 16.

The ship was steadied when Charlie Bibb and Sam Duckworth came together for a match defining partnership of 48 runs. The middle order hitters settled the nerves and then set about piling on the runs. Duckworth was eventually dismissed for a heart-stopping 15 while Bibb crunched two 4s on his way to an impressive 16.

Felix and James make a formidable pair

Two more wickets fell before Mulder returned to join Vandermark at the crease for the critical ' and very tense - last wicket stance. Vandermark showed true grit as held up one end before Mulder before produced his six to win the match.

It was a great batting effort by all the boys with notable contribitions from:

Mulder 39 not out.
Bibb 16.
Duckworth 15.
Mason 14.
Vandermark 6.

The match also sadly marked the last appearance by Walsh for the Reds who will now add his talent to the cricketing ranks at Knox. He will be missed ' as will his ever-helpful father, Phil, who is one of our scorers.

Finally, practice is on again this Friday but can all boys please get some extra bowling work in this week as the next game is against the very good Lane Cove Katich.

In training leading up to the much awaited T20 game the team focused on a couple of important points these included

- All balls can be scored from- Backing up and calling are critical- Challenging the fielder is fun- When fielding every player is in the game every ball- Good catching and throwing will change the game

So it was with much excitement that the Golds met Lindfield Chappell at Allan Small Oval scene of the Golds under 10 grand final victory and a ground where the Golds have never been beaten in 8 matches'a veritable fortress!!!

Chappell won the toss and sent us in and it was clear from the get go that the Golds meant business. Both Campbell (5ret) and Jo (21 ret) set us on the way with smart running and clever placement. Coxy (20 ret) including a massive six attacked at every opportunity, building on the great start. Jack (2) was unlucky falling trying to push the score along as were Callum (3) and Rory. Charlie W (20 ret) was a mini version of David Hookes plundering boundaries at will. Alex (17 ret) cut and drove beautifully through the offside and the Golds were on the march! Tay (11 ret) and Gen (11 ret) combined in a dashing display of shot making and running which brought roars from the large Lord's Tavererner's Day crowd. Henry (9) backed up last weeks great form and only fell pushing for a second run ' great work Henry team before self! Mitch (2) brought a huge cheer with his perfectly executed reverse sweep, before also being run out.

The aggressive selfless play of the whole team meant that both Jo and Campbell got back to the wicket for the final over and both maintained the pressure seeing us through to a massive 5/145 off our 20 overs.

The Golds took the field in their special 'baggies for a day' however the Chappell's were not intimidated and set off at a rapid rate racing to 45 off 5 overs. However the introduction of Alex (3 for 5 off 2) did the trick bowling their opener and then deceiving the next batsmen for Callum to hold a beautiful catch at mid off. This was the signal for the fired up Jack (3 for 6 off 2) to castle the next batsmen and then hold onto a brilliant caught and bowled reducing the Chappells to 4/67 at the half way mark swinging the game back in the Golds favour. Catching was once again proving the difference.

After drinks the fielding was fantastic. Both Rory and Taylor made chances out of shots that I doubt any other teams would have got to and the throwing was first class. Henry(1 for 12 off 2) struck the first blow with a wicket straight after the break, and a fabulous piece of keeping saw Gen achieve a stumping after Alex lured the batsmen down the pitch! Campbell(1 for 5 off 2) was in his pomp steaming in from the northern end, and was rewarded with a wicket. This left their strongest batsmen to return to the crease to face the ever reliable Jack. A ball full of length, was met with a lovely lofted straight drive down the ground, looking for the six needed to keep the game alive. As the crowd watched the ball sail down the ground, Alex calmly moved to his right. This was a vital moment in the game, would all of our catching practice be rewarded? As the ball began its arc back to earth Callum sensibly pulled back, leaving Alex to casually pouch an excellent outfield catch! With 3 overs remaining and over 50 runs needed the task was too great for the brave men of Lindfield and they finished at 8/104.

A great game, with the depth of the Golds on show as 6 batsmen reached double figures and no bowler bowled more than 2 overs, sharing the load right across the team. A great team effort.

Highlights:

Excellent batting throughout the order

Aggressive running between the wickets by all batsmen

Batsmen playing for the team

Fantastic catching , that is what wins games

Enthusiastic fielding

This brings to close a wonderful first half of the season where the Golds have been successful in all of their matches. Importantly the team continues to improve, which makes it a delight to be involved.

Our first game back is Saturday January 29 so everyone should be available for that game.

Thanks to Tim and James for umpiring and Steve for scoring. After the excitement of last week it was great to see the return of the good old orange.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas/New Year, and hopefully the Australians will bounce back and claim the Ashes!

The U11 Reds got their first taste of Twenty20 magic in an exciting and excellent victory on Saturday.

Player of the Match Tim Perry with his award

Match captain Finn Mclay won the toss and put St Ives Ponting into bat on a sunny day at a poor Darnley Oval. Tom Hampson opened the bowling and struck in his second over to have the St Ives team reeling at 1 for 3.

The batsmen then fought back until James Mulder was thrown the ball. He also struck in his second over hitting the pads and trapping a batsmen 'plumb' in front. Tight fielding restricted the scoring with Hampson picking up a second wicket to finish with the impressive figures of 2 for 9 from three overs. Mulder chipped in with 1 for 6 from three tight overs.

Chasing 116 to win from 20 overs, the Reds opened the batting with Hampson and the in-form Tim Perry. Hampson fell cheaply but Perry played very straight and with great power to retire 14 not out under the special laws for the day.

A couple of quick wickets fell when leading run scorer Mulder was bowled and Sam Duckworth run out. Angus Chitty played straight but was forced to retire having used up his five overs.

With the innings in danger of stalling, in came Brae Mason and Charlie Crawshaw. They quickly combined to clobber the bowling and turn the match around. Crawshaw was particularly savage whacking two 6s and two 4s on his way to 29. Mason was also on fire hitting three 4s in his innings of 18.

The U11Reds celebrate in the shade after defeating St Ives Ponting

Both players were forced to retire ' leaving the remaining batsmen to bring home the victory.

Charlie Bibb played superbly smashing two fours ' the second an elegant on-drive ' for his eight runs. Mclay, 7 not out, and Harrison Layton saw home the Reds reaching 116 with three overs to spare.

It was a great team effort by the boys who richly deserved their victory. It was a reward for hard work off the field.

It's now time for a summer hiatus. The next game is 29 January where the Reds take on their colleagues, the Gordon Greens.

Charlie Bibb crunches a pull shot to the boundary

Finally, I would like to thank all the parents for their help. Each week the mums and dads turn out to support the boys in greater numbers than the other teams. However, a special thanks goes to:

Coach Andrew Chitty

Kitman Steve Perry

Umpires Craig Hampson, Scott Mason and Matt Vandermark

Scorers John Mclay, Dean Duckworth and Phil Walsh

Motivators Martin Mulder, Bruce Crawshaw and Will Layton

And I cannot forget the all important mums and siblings who make it all so much fun.

Having been invited to bat under murky skies it was always a chance that the weather would intervene. However not to be put off Henry and Mitch set off in fine style. With a mixture of lovely drives and pulls Henry (22) put together an innings of style and belligerence. Not to be out done Mitch (6 retired) provided a perfect foil looking to turn the strike over at every opportunity. This bright start meant that at 8 overs both openers had provided a great platform, although the skies were threatening!

Charlie Cox

pulled and drove his way to a brisk 30 retired in 4 overs while Gen 11 retired (6 overs) provided wonderful support . A feature of the pair was their running between the wickets which kept pressure on the field. Charlie W 22 not out in 3 overs and Alex (2) both risked their wickets in playing for the team as the rain moved in. Campbell 1 not out was at the wicket when the heavens opened. Despite the best efforts of the team to cover the pitch with a 'human shield' the rain poured in. Both teams waited some 25 mins but with no break in sight sadly the game was abandoned with the Golds in a good position at 2/110 off 16 overs.

Disappointing considering the fine start however that is cricket!

Highlights:

Excellent opening stand by Mitch and Henry

Bright running between the wickets by all batsmen

Batsmen playing for the team ' great team spirit

Offside shots becoming common place ' that is what we want, that's cricket!!!

Thanks to Tim for umpiring and Steve for scoring under unusually difficult circumstances and Ralph, who concerned with the prevalence of scurvy in the team was looking to introduce the children to the delights of the humble grapefruit! Maybe next time Ralph.

Round 11: v Lindfield Chappell @ Allan Small Oval be there by 7.50am for a 8.15am start it is a T20 game this week which should be fun after our Kookaburra Cup experience

This Week : Training - followed by BBQ at 6.00pm

Player Availability ' if anyone is unavailable for this week please let Judy know.

For the first time this season the Gordon batting was made to look vulnerable against a determined Mosman outfit. After losing the toss and being sent in our start was slow as both Charlie W (7) and Taylor (11 not out) were forced to defend against some tight bowling. Both Rory (4) and Jack (4) were hitting the ball well until dismissed. Jonas (15) was in good touch working the ball into the gaps as was Mitch (10) who hit the ball cleanly on the rather slow outfield.

Still, for the first time this season we kept losing wickets, which placed huge pressure on the lower order. Henry (6) was looking great until an excellent throw found him short of his ground and when Callum (3) was dismissed things looked a little grim. Alex (9)played three lovely off drives before he too was run out, leaving Charlie C (17 not out) and Gen (13) to combine in a strong partnership to rescue our innings. 9/150 off 32 overs, a good score but full marks to Mosman who showed how good fielding and bowling can put pressure on the batsmen.

Mosman's batting was not as strong as their bowling and wickets quickly began to tumble. Callum (2/1) began the rot, and was well supported by Jonas (2/4) A stumping by Charlie Cox and a wicket when he bowled was an excellent reward for this enthusiastic player' well done! Jack (1/6) was rewarded for his persistence, while Gen snapped up two very good catches to assist Taylor to match figures of 3/7 - concluding great day out for both of our Met North representatives!!! Our overall bowling and fielding was very good and Mosman was all out for 62 in 21 overs.

Highlights:

5 wicket takers means everyone is bowling well

Catching was excellent'again!

Another run out ' always a bonus

11 drives on the offside ' we are starting to open up our scoring areas- great to see

Thanks to Tim and Mathilda for umpiring and Steve and Judy for scoring. We are indeed an equal opportunity employer!

Round 10: v Gordon White @ Allan Small Oval be there by 7.50am for a 8.15am start

This Week : No Training - enjoy the break

Player Availability ' if anyone is unavailable for this week please let Judy know.

The Golds arrived at the beautiful Balmoral Oval looking forwad to the game against the very friendly Mosman Green team. It is always nice to remember that we are only playing a game of cricket and Mosman do play in a very good spirit.

Our plans to bat first were thwarted when the coin fell Mosman's way, however Charlie W was quickly into the action with a clean bowled. The next Mosman batsmen whose name I don't have then proceeded to bat with great maturity and power and quickly raced to 30 retired ' well done it was a pleasure to watch his innings.

Following his retirement Henry (who is bowling very well) took 2/13 quickly and got the Golds back into the game ' both were bowled!! At 3/40 Mosman were well positioned, however Campbell changed the game dramatically. A beautiful pick up and throw (a drill done at training during the week) resulted in a direct hit run out ' a turning point in the game.

After an eventful over from Alex which nearly resulted in a hot caught and bowled, nearly resulted in a spectacular catch by Gen and nearly resulted in a super stumping by Charlie C., Callum 2/1 was introduced. His accurate spinners brought immediate results when Jonas held a neat catch and Callum followed up with a clean bowled. From a position of strength Mosman had collapsed to 6/52. Jonas 1/11 inflicted more pain when he hit the stumps and Mosman were in big trouble.

With Mitch taking the gloves and doing quite a good job Charlie C 1/4 took the ball and broke through immediately with the help of Harry who took a good catch at cover. Rory whose enthusiasm for the game is fantastic then positioned himself nicely to hold a catch off Charlie W to give him his second wicket, and leave Mosman at 9/72 with 9 overs remaining. This was a danger period as the Mosman lad who had retired returned to the crease intent on building on his 30retired. We knew he was dangerous so a breakthrough was essential. The skipper threw the ball to Charlie W who steamed in from the northern end and sent down a beautifully pitched yorker which was too good for the batsmen, hitting his middle stump and giving Charlie match figures of 3/2/3/1' all out 72 and a potentially big chase was averted.

Alex who worked the ball nicely on the leg side (12 retired) and Callum batting with great patience(6retired) faced and handled some hostile bowling in a very good opening partnership of 30 which saw them subdue Mosmans best bowlers. Gen (9) batted very well hitting two lovely drives and with Charlie C (20 retired) who hit the ball crisply to all parts, took the score to 60 in quick time. Henry (8 not out) used his time wisely playing the good ball and working the loose one for runs. He was well supported by Harry (3 not out) and together the target was reached in 16 overs.

Mosman then invited us to keep batting so all the players got to the middle and with a 'license to thrill' Mitch, Rory, Charlie W (what a six) Campbell and Jonas all had some time in the middle. A good game played in a great spirit.

Highlights:

6 maiden overs bowled in 24 - builds pressure

6 batsmen clean bowled - accuracy gets results

Direct hit run out ' good reward for good training

Excellent opening partnership set the platform for our innings

Strong throws to keeper on the full - keeps the ball in order

Thanks to Tim, James and Lyndon for umpiring and Steve for his attention to the book

Round 9: v Mosman Blue @ William Cowan Oval St Ives be there by 7.50am for a 8.15am start

Three wickets from U11 Red opening bowler Felix Walsh and a top score of 25 not out by James Mulder were the highlights of a nail biting game on Saturday.

Charlie Crawshaw proudly shows off his Good Sportsmanship Award

St Ives Warne batted first and it was slow going thanks to some very tight bowling from the Reds and an outfield in desperate need of a good mow.

After five overs, St Ives were 3 for 15 with Walsh dismissing both openers. It was a fine display of line and length bowling from Walsh who is back to the excellent form he showed last season. Angus Chitty ' whose bowling improves each game - claimed the other wicket to have the Reds well on top.

St Ives then fought back before some excellent team work saw Chitty, now standing in as wicketkeeper, complete a run out.

The runs then dried up as the U11 Red bowlers and fielders turned the screws and eventually Brae Mason took the fifth wicket - clean bowling a middle order batsman.

Walsh then returned to the attack picking up his third wicket to have St Ives at 6 for 98.

Tom Hampson, Brae Mason and Player of the Match, Felix Walsh, on the boundary during Saturday's run chase

The Reds conceded just three runs from their last four overs as Mason, Walsh, Tom Hampson and James Mulder bowled tightly and the fielders pounced on every ball.

Set 104 to win, the Reds started solidly with Mulder and Charlie Crawshaw opening the batting. Both played well but found it hard to get the ball to the boundary with the long grass preventing them getting full value from their aggressive shots. A number of loose balls were also missed down the leg side.

Crawshaw retired five not out which brought the left hander Chitty to the crease who began by playing very straight and looking good off the back foot as he eased runs past the close in fielders.

Mulder retired on 25 not out ' a score that takes him to the number two spot on the batting table. Charlie Bibb was next in and he and Chitty were tied down by some very good bowling and they also missed opportunities to put the loose ball away. Bibb was bowled trying to smash the ball to the boundary.

Next in was Hampson who immediately set about lifting the scoring with some quick running and two good blows. Unfortunately, he was bowled for four looking to keep the scorers busy. Mason was next in and he also took to the bowling and struck the only boundary of the entire match. His quick fire innings ended on six and the Reds were now in need of big hits and quick runs. Finn Mclay looked good and hit one sweet pull shot for two ' a shot that would have been four had the grass been a little shorter. When Mclay fell, Sam Duckworth came in but got a good delivery while trying to push for runs.

With plenty of wickets left, Ned Vandermark and Tim Perry took to the bowling trying to guide the Reds home. The pair needed 12 runs from the final two overs ' a run a ball. Unfortunately, they fell short of the target with the Reds finishing on 6 for 94 at the end of 30 overs.

Charlie Bibb, Tom Hampson, Player of the Match Felix Walsh, and Brae Mason all waiting to bat during Saturday's run chase

While all the boys tried very hard, the big lesson for the Reds' batsmen from this game is to make sure to punish the loose ball. Many short deliveries slipped by down the leg side begging to be hit for four.

The positive was the overall excellent attitude and enthusiasm on display by the Reds ' especially in the field. The boys put in a very special effort of which they should be proud. Felix Walsh was named Player of the Match.

The sportsmanship was again wonderful to see as the Reds continue to show every other team how to play cricket in the right spirit at all times. Charlie Crawshaw picked up the Good Sportsmanship Award.

Practice is on again this Friday as usual. Next game sees the Reds take on the Roseville Rickys at the Allan Small Oval at East Killara.